Reading Journal #7

1. After reading Dirk's article, how do you now define "genre"? What are
some of the genres you encounter every day?
a. I define “genre” as the concept that defines the way something is written
and delivered. I mean that like Dirk said, before writing something, you
have to think about the audience, message, and the reaction you want
from the audience, therefore you change your language, tone, and style of
what you are writing about. When you write to a friend, you use different
diction from what you would use if you were to text your boss. Some
genres I encounter every day are posts or signs around campus informing
students about activities or security measures, text messages, etc.

2. Dirk states "two texts that might fit into the same genre might also look
extremely different" (255). Read the three sample ransom notes on page
257. Which of these three ransom notes is the best example of the
ransom note genre? Why do you think so? What are the rules or
expectations that ransom notes should follow if they want to be
successful?
a. The best example of a ransom note genre would be Ransom Letter 1
because it is urgent, it creates the serious mood of the note, and it clearly
states the information in order to get the daughter back. Not that I would
know or be an expert 😳, but through movies, I think that ransom notes
should follow somewhat of correct grammar, and spelling. It should be to
the point and short enough to create suspense and urgency.

3. Think about a genre you might have seen before, like a wedding
invitation. What are your expectations for the content that a wedding
invitation should include, the way it should look, its length, its level of
formality, etc.? (These are all features of the genre!) How are those
expectations related to the purpose of the genre? In other words, what's
the purpose of a wedding invitation, and how do those
expectations/features (that you just described) relate to that purpose?
a. First, it should have a type of greeting introducing the groom and bride’s
parents such as “*names* and *names* cordially invite you...”. It should be
formal but with a happy and excited tone that creates the mood of a party
and the importance of the union between two people. It should include
time and place as well as the dress code and R.S.VP information. These
expectations relate to the purpose of the genre by promoting the
excitement and hopefulness of sharing a special date and union with loved
ones.
4. Please attempt to create a full, Works Cited citations for the Dirk article.
For help, see the Purdue OWL MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Links
to an external site.)
a. Dirk, Kerry. “Navigating Genres.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing,

Volume 1, Parlor Press. Feb 25, 2022.